Premium Members Matteo Quagliano Posted January 14, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi guys and girls, I'm back with some stupid question, as usual. Tomorrow I'm on my first live show, it's for a voice contest so I have plenty of material to see here or on the tube. What I need to know is how I circle around them since I'm hooked with TRIAX and do you have some suggetions for the first time live show? p.s. sometimes I feel a little pain at the middle of my spine, touching with my finger I can feel exactly the place where it hurts, after a normal 8 hrs day of work (but with wrong springs causing a lot of load on my arm and back) taking the bag with everything (arm, sled and vest) out of the car (I was also at the cell phone, meaning in a very bad position to carry heavy stuff) I block myself. I had to take medicine and the day after disappear but then if I touch the place I can feel a little pain. Is it bad? Someone experienced it already? Should I do something? Thanks a lot, this forum is a great opportunity for all the people like me that love this game Matteo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Matteo Quagliano Posted January 14, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 To be more precise... I'm going to work with Thompson LKW 100 camera, quite a little baby in my guess. Does anybody have some good hints for that f***ing triax cable? Again thanks in advance for your kind reply Matteo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Matteo Quagliano Posted January 14, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 come on people... it's tomorrow... I need help... don't be shy... I know out there there's a lot of knowledge... spread it... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Robert Starling SOC Posted January 14, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi Matteo, if possible try to have your Camera Utility to pre-lay the triax for that shot if you can. I usually walk the circle with them in advance, they lay the cable on the outside of the circle/path and then when that shot is over we're back to neutral. It's sort of hard to explain before I've finished my coffee ! You should also be using a Triax to Coax adapter between the camera and your vest with slinky thin BNC cable between if you are not already. Hopefully you'll get a good Utility with lots of experience and Steadicam experience; those guys are worth their weight in gold. The peace of mind you'll have backing and moving while cabled is priceless. My first fall while operating was due to an inexperienced Utility, luckily it was more of a bruise to my ego than my body but I still got a nice big lump on my head from the camera. Good luck and stand your ground with the Director / Production if the Utility is not up to par in order to provide 100% safety for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jason Torbitt Posted January 14, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi Matteo, Do a search of the forums - this question has been addressed many times already. Lots of useful info for you there. Cheers J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Matteo Quagliano Posted January 14, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi Robert Thanks for your help. I understand the circle thing, a lot of cable is needed indeed, it's a local tv, not to mention with a little budget, I think I will not have that much cable but lukily I forced the production to give me an assistant, so I will just do 270 go and back plus the intro of the presenter. I'll have just the commercials breack to rest. The friend that pass me the job told me it's a good training. I hope so. The connector between triax and bnc is not possible, I'm sure they don't have it, I'll have to work a lot on my little gimble. Pity. But I think positive and I'll do the job. I appreciate your experience shared, helpfull. ps. I did a search here and I found a lot of good infos, Thanks to all of you. Next days I'll tell you how things went. Ciao Matteo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Tim Fabrizio Posted January 15, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 Get a good utility and be nice to him! Its all about the cable wrangling. Make sure the cable coming off the camera is not in your way. I usually get about a 2ft+ of slack of the camera(for panning,tilting, booming up and down, Don Juan, etc) and then secure it to the vest by your shoulder and let the rest dangle behind you. This is where your utility comes in. Make sure that he keeps that cable off the floor but gives you enough slack to move around. Its a dance and an art. Practice, practice, practice. As far as your back is concerned. Stretch before and after. When you stretch before make sure your back is warm. Stretching cold muscles is counterproductive. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike Germond SOC Posted January 16, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 the ideal situation would be that you use a spaghetti-sized coax from the camera to triax on your shoulder, then tape a loop for strain relief that you can either attach to your vest or your waistline. I did a concert with a company that had never used a steadicam before, so of course I got their most untrained grip to wrangle cable for me. It was to the point that I couldn't trust him to keep the cable off my feet, so I gave up and just walked over it while he pulled up the slack behind me.. wish I could afford my own wireless.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Matteo Quagliano Posted January 16, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 wow... it was fantastic... very very tough but great experience first I want to thank you all (robert, jason, mike and tim in particular) it was foundamental the help that I got from you on this great forum... anyway let's get to the story I arrive there 2 hours before but my assigned camera is on news show (small local tv) so they give me the baby 30 minutes before the air. I bring an assistant by myself lukily, they don't have it for the same reason above (low budget), and it is vitally for my safe and for the good coming of the job. I explain him how to do the job and we start dancing. I have to say he is great, I never think to the cable (big stiff TRIAX from my shoulder back to the vest) and so, thinking I'm free, I almost fall down 3 times hitting the monitors on the ground (five minutes rearsal) and two of them get on air because the director can't cut on time... ;) a nice and very light thompson with a huge zoom wide lens mounted (very front heavy) takes me 20 minutes to balance, I have to tape a weight onn the batt to balance the lens, then the director show me 2 moves he needs and that's it with rearsal. we go and I'm on the first shot, from applause to the lady that introduces the singer. everything ok, just a very low volume on the intercom but it's ok... problems arise later... the first singer arrives and I do my job, the question about 360 wasn'timportant since there're other 5 cams and I can't arrive on them, so I go for some 270, arriving from the bottom, starting from the shade on the floor, some from public, some getting closer and it's ok... but here starts problems, the director is not calling other cameras, so he changes but he doesn't say it on the intercom, I don't have any RET (bad because I could have it and I didn't, my fault) so I have to check from the on air monitor to see who is on... but that's not all... after the first five or six singers with always longer takes from me it happens that they start a discussion in the intercom (I'm on air) and they come back to me at the end with no other cuts and that wasreally tough because after a while I don't know what to invent anymore mainly because some of my movements were done for a cut, but nothing happens and turning to the monitor I see it's still me... that was the craziest thing... by the way... it is the first time the show is played on air and not pre recorded... luky me as usual... I think I did an acceptable job, they didn't complain, they were satysfied but I know I can do better and I have to practice much more to improve... what I really miss is a good f......g equipment to work with... but unlukily now is not the time for expences :lol: TRIAX was difficult to deal with but not impossible, more difficult to deal with the cuts and the no cuts... they'll send me a DVD, I'll try to compress it and put it somewhere to comment on it togheter... :ph34r: ciao Matteo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike Germond SOC Posted January 16, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 (edited) I feel your pain Matteo. Production for that concert I mentioned didn't have the budget for focus control, or return monitor either (no tally). The huge audiance monitors on the sides of the stage and around the arena were my only feedback. Like your experience, the director was not very percise with his calls on headset, nor did he know what he wanted from the Steadicam or how to cut in and out of it. Sometimes I felt like he wanted me to do some miraculous American Idol type move, that ultimately would have resulted in death by coax for the talent :P Glad to hear that your nightmare situation came out for the better.. Edited January 16, 2009 by Mike Germond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Rob Vuona SOC Posted January 16, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hi guys and girls, I'm back with some stupid question, as usual. Tomorrow I'm on my first live show, it's for a voice contest so I have plenty of material to see here or on the tube. What I need to know is how I circle around them since I'm hooked with TRIAX and do you have some suggetions for the first time live show? p.s. sometimes I feel a little pain at the middle of my spine, touching with my finger I can feel exactly the place where it hurts, after a normal 8 hrs day of work (but with wrong springs causing a lot of load on my arm and back) taking the bag with everything (arm, sled and vest) out of the car (I was also at the cell phone, meaning in a very bad position to carry heavy stuff) I block myself. I had to take medicine and the day after disappear but then if I touch the place I can feel a little pain. Is it bad? Someone experienced it already? Should I do something? Thanks a lot, this forum is a great opportunity for all the people like me that love this game Matteo Matteo, sorry I didn't get to the forum sooner, I would have given you lots of points. 90% of my shooting is Live TV Triax or Fiber tethered, so getting the right set up is critical to your success and safety. Triax to BNC adapters are a must or a Triax jumper cable. If your using fiber cable a fiber mini jumper is essential. As you experienced not having a return monitor becomes problematic, so having a little 3.5 or 4" monitor for return makes your life good. Next thing is having a tally light so you know when they are cutting to you even if they aren't talking to you. Also as mentioned having a good cable assistant makes your job possible and safe. There's more but that should get you on the right track Happy flying and welcome to the world of tethered steadicam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike Germond SOC Posted January 16, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Rob, I've always been interested in custom fabbing a small monitor with tally to have on hand with my rig. Where do you get the signal from to run the return and tally? The camera? Running additional cables? I'd assume both Triax and Fibre systems embed all those functions into one cable, but I wouldn't know where to start fabbing cables (length, connectors, ect).. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted January 18, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Man you guys are old fashion :lol: Steadicam means wireless overhere. I cant remember using triax anymore. Must be 3 years ago LOL We send people to the moon, giving steadicamops a wireless is the least the could do. ( yeah yeah i know, money ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike Germond SOC Posted January 18, 2009 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 yea it kinda sucks that wireless is a luxury around here.. out of curiousity, what system do you use most commonly? can it carry all of the functions of triax (intercom, tally, return, ect..)? Do you have focus pulled wirelessly too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Matteo Quagliano Posted January 18, 2009 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Thanks for the welcome Rob. I like the tethered world, the live feeling, the call steadicam ready. Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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